Grid Battles – Part 7: Tips

Learn how to add a turn based grid battle in this short gameplay tutorial series.

This is the 7th part of the gameplay tutorial series focused on turn based grid battles – you can find part 1 here.

In this part we’ll discuss some gameplay tips for grid battles in general.

Line of Sight

Adding line of sight mechanics can add additional tactical value to grid battles. Using line of sight prevents cells or combatants from being targeted when the direct line between user and cell/target is blocked by something, e.g. a blocked cell or another combatant.

The line of sight can be blocked by:

blocked cells

combatants that are allies of the user

combatants that are enemies of the user

defined cell types

Line of sight can be enabled in the individual Battle Range Templates or abilities and items using a custom use range or affect range.

Movement After Actions

In the current setup, a combatant’s turn will end after using an action – with small changes to the actions per turn and action costs, we can change that to allow using the move command after an action.

When a combatant’s turn will end if the actions per turn (APT) reach 0, so we’ll slightly increase the APT to prevent this, without allowing multiple actions to be used. Additionally, we have to set the None action (i.e. doing nothing) to use all remaining APT of a combatant.

Actions Settings

Navigate to Battle System > Turn Based Battles and change the following settings.

Actions Per Turn

Value
Set to 1.1.

None Cost

Own None CostEnable this setting.

Use RemainingEnable this setting.

Value Type
Select Value.

Value
Set to 0.

And that’s it – don’t forget to save your changes by clicking on Save Settings.

Camera Control Target

It can get difficult to show the whole battle grid with a camera position – especially with large grids. It’s a good idea to use camera control target changes in these situations.

The camera control can be transfered to a different object, e.g. to the currently selected grid cell while selecting a target for the move command.

Camera control target changes are available for all built-in camera controls, as well as any custom control that extends from the BaseCameraControl class.

Control Block Settings

First we need to allow camera controls in turn based battles, otherwise changing the camera control target wont have any effect.

Navigate to Battle System > Turn Based Battles and change the following settings.

Camera Control Block

Block Camera Control
Select None.

Block In Battle MenuDisable this setting.

Battle Grid Settings

Now, all we need to do is enable the camera control target change in the cell selections we want to use it.

Navigate to Battle System > Battle Grid Settings and change the following settings.

Combatant Placement

Camera Control TargetEnable this setting.

Move Command

Camera Control TargetEnable this setting.

Target Cell Selection

Camera Control TargetEnable this setting.

Examine Grid

Camera Control TargetEnable this setting.

And that’s it – don’t forget to save your changes by clicking on Save Settings.

You can also change the camera control target in events using a Camera Control Target step.

E.g. use this to change the camera control to target the battle arena instead of the player in battle start events, and revert it back to the player in battle end events.

Grid Cell Events

Want to spice up your grid battles with traps or cinematic events? Then Grid Cell Events are what you’re looking for.

You can add grid cell events to grid cell types and individual grid cells of a battle grid. Setting up a grid cell type with events is a good idea if you’re going to use it often (e.g. a trap cell), otherwise it’s better to add them directly to the cells of a battle grid (e.g. an event that only happens in 1 battle).

Grid Cell Types

We’re going to add a new trap cell type that uses the Poison ability on whoever steps on it (i.e. Move Over and Move To). Navigate to Battle System > Grid Cell Types, copy the Ground type and change the following settings.

Name
Set to Poison Trap.

Cell Events

Click on Add Cell Event to add a new cell event.

Event Type
Select Ability.

Start Type
Select Move To.

Ability
Select Poison.

Animate AbilityEnable this setting.
The ability will be animated using its battle events – otherwise it’d just use the calculations.

The Combatant Settings handle the user of the ability. The user only exists while the ability is used, i.e. it’s not part of the actual battle.

Faction
Select Enemies.
The faction handles which combatants are enemies of the user – e.g. if you want a trap to work on all combatants, set up a faction that views all other factions as enemies.

Combatant
Select Evil Supporter or any other combatant you want to be the user.
Again, this combatant isn’t part of the battle and will only be used for the ability.

Set Level
Select Default.

Set Class Level
Select Default.

Copy the event and change the following settings.

Start Type
Select Move Over.

And that’s it – don’t forget to save your changes by clicking on Save Settings.

To test the new trap cell, paint some on your battle grids as explained in earlier tutorials.